Viewing archives for Trips

Forty-six boys triumphantly conquered Kinder Scout, explored deep inside a cave, and overcame their fears to abseil off a high bridge during a memorable trip to the Peak District.

The Year 8 pupils cheerfully endured testing weather conditions – and enjoyed some sunshine, too! – as they got to grips with the great outdoors.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “QE Flourish trips such as this are so important in helping boys develop their Boundless potential: they open minds, build confidence, and create memories that last, while offering benefits for physical and mental health.”

During the three-day trip to Derbyshire’s Peak District, the boys made their way deep into Edale’s Giant’s Hole – a cave near Castleton – to learn about stalactite formation.

Their 15km hike up the 636m Kinder Scout saw them battling blizzards, hail storms and 40 mph wind gusts – all interspersed with bursts of glorious sunshine.

The following day, it was time for a new challenge – stepping off a lofty stone bridge and abseiling to the ground.

During the trip, there were opportunities to learn map-reading and compass skills, while the boys pitted their wits against each other in an eagerly contested after-dinner quiz at the YHA Activities Centre in Edale, run by Mathematics teacher Nadeem Kydd.

The trip was led by Assistant Head (Co-Curricular and Partnerships) Crispin Bonham-Carter, who heads the QE Flourish programme.

“Our brilliant pupils showed incredible courage and teamwork throughout. My thanks go to them, to our staff team, and to the boys’ supportive parents,” said Mr Bonham-Carter.

In addition to Mr Bonham-Carter and Mr Kydd, the staff team comprised: Head of Technology Bilaal Khan, Languages teacher Elisa Perra, Science teacher Philip Collington, and Philosophy, Religion & Society teacher Brooke Farron.

Click on the thumbnails to view the images. 

Thirty senior boys experienced the spectacular sights, sounds, shakings and smells of one of the most volcanically active regions on earth in a five-day trip to Iceland.

The Geography expedition saw the Year 11–13 pupils cross from one continent to another, savour volcanic mud pools and take an ice trek on a glacier – and all against the backdrop of 150 earthquakes detected during their stay.

There was a serious academic purpose: the group did extensive fieldwork on tectonic activity, geothermal features and glacial landscapes that will prove invaluable for case studies in their GCSE and A-level preparations.

Head of Geography Chris Butler, who led the expedition, said: “It was an unforgettable five days, during which we saw eruptions from a hydrothermal vent, stood beside the majestic part-frozen Gullfoss waterfall, and gazed in wonder at the breathtaking aurora borealis – the Northern Lights.

“For all the boys, I am sure it will not only have added to their stock of geographical knowledge and skills, but will have brought GCSE and A-level Geography to life.”

Mr Butler accompanied the party, assisted by Geography teacher Staycie Domzalski and Economics teacher Dr Celia Wallace.

After flying in to the country’s main airport, Keflavík, southwest of Reykjavík, the group headed immediately to the Grjótagjá fissure system, where widening fractures mark the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Pupils were able to physically cross the Mid-Atlantic Rift – a dramatic reminder of the immense geological forces shaping Iceland, and of the risks posed by ongoing magmatic activity beneath the island.

After a night in the Hotel Cabin, they explored the capital, before moving on to the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Here, they received a briefing about volcanic unrest at the nearby Sundhnúkur crater row, responsible for major lava flows in July 2025, and enjoying the geothermal waters and volcanic muds.

As they travelled on through Iceland’s volcanic landscapes, further highlights followed in quick succession:

• Visiting the town of Grindavík, evacuated in November 2023 after eruptions from the Fagradalsfjall fissures that saw lava flow into the streets. The boys spoke to residents who have begun to return, despite an uncertain future.
• Stopping at Seltún geothermal area, with its steaming fumaroles (vents emitting steam and volcanic gases) and bubbling mud pools.
• Travelling around Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle. They began at the Þingvellir rift valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where North America and Eurasia drift apart at several centimetres per year – before continuing to Geysir, observing the Strokkur hydrothermal vent reliably erupting every 6–10 minutes, before finishing at the Gullfoss waterfall.
• Staying at Hellishólar Cottages, beneath the mighty Eyjafjallajökull volcano –infamous for its 2010 eruption that grounded over 100,000 flights – with the terrain blanketed in thick snow.
• Touring the Lava Centre in Hvolsvöllur, an interactive exhibition exploring Iceland’s volcanic systems.
• Treading the dramatic black-sand beaches of Reynisfjara.

“The climax of the trip was an ice trek on the Sólheimajökull Glacier, complete with crampons,” said Mr Butler. “Pupils spent two hours investigating supraglacial and englacial features, observing blue ice and dirt bands, meltwater channels and sediment layers.”

The glacier’s rapid retreat — up to 50 metres per year since the mid-2000s — has produced a growing proglacial lagoon now almost 1.5 km long and 60–70 m deep.

“In 2010, the lagoon was barely visible; in the coming decades it may reach 4 km in length. This provided powerful, first-hand evidence of contemporary climate change,” Mr Butler added.

A brief stop had been planned at Seljalandsfoss to get a group photograph before the boys returned to Heathrow. But the Land of Ice and Fire had one final spectacle for them: the glorious colours of the aurora borealis lit up the evening sky to bid them farewell.

Mr Butler thanked both his colleagues and the boys, “who were enthusiastic, inquisitive and intrepid throughout”.

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Year 12 geographers going on a field trip to investigate what shapes our coastlines received two vivid illustrations of one important factor – the weather!

Firstly, plans to take them to Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre in Suffolk for their field trip had to be abandoned because of flooding.

And when they went instead to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, they saw a dramatic result of this winter’s intense rainfall – a large section of the Naze cliffs had collapsed on to the beach.

School Captain Tunishq Mitra, who was one of the group, said: “Our field trip was a great opportunity to do some hands-on work and develop a better understanding of our wider Geography syllabus in an enjoyable way. It was fascinating to see the complex interactions between all the natural processes we study in real time, including the partial cliff collapse.”

The group had two questions to look into on their trip:

• How do social, economic and environmental considerations influence how coastlines are managed?
• How do coastal management techniques affect coastal processes and landforms?

Geography teacher and Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald said: “With its rapidly retreating coastline – largely due to its less resistant lithology of London clay and unconsolidated deposits – Walton-on-the-Naze provided the perfect setting to investigate those two questions.”

The cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze suffer from chronic erosion and have been eroding at an accelerated rate of 3–5 metres per year in recent times. The large fall, which took place around 18th–20th January, saw 1.5–2 metres of the cliff face fall at once. It was partly captured on video. The collapse has been attributed to the combination of high tides and elevated rainfall this winter saturating the London clay cliffs.

Braving the elements, the sixth-formers carried out a wide range of fieldwork exercises, including cost–benefit analysis calculations, environmental impact assessments, beach profiling, sediment analysis and infiltration studies.

Mrs Macdonald said: “Fieldwork is an essential geographical skill – it is how we measure and observe the world. Fieldwork is the means by which geographers test their predictions or formulate new theories about the world.

“Field trips are directly applicable to careers relating to the environment, while they also help students develop some of the six qualities set out in our Boundless School Development Plan, especially being ‘sustainability-literate’.

“More generally, day trips like these provide valuable learning opportunities outside of the classroom, helping our students develop skills, such as teamwork and communication, that are vital for any number of occupations.

“The Year 12s approached the day trip with enthusiasm, positively engaging with all aspects of the fieldwork and earning praise for their understanding and work ethic.”

Sixth-formers saw up-to-the-minute manufacturing technology on a visit to one of Britain’s most famous car factories.

The first QE trip of its kind to the historic Mini Plant Oxford provided a look behind the scenes at how advanced manufacturing processes, automation, and teamwork are combined on a single production line.

The Year 13 pupils also learned about the history of the iconic Mini, from the 1960s classic car through to today’s newer version, first produced in 2001.

QE’s Head of Technology Bilaal Khan said: “It was an outstanding experience for the students, allowing them to see the theories and concepts they have been studying brought to life in a real industrial setting. The trip not only deepened their understanding, but also inspired many of them to think more broadly about future careers in engineering, technology, and design.”

The plant on the Oxford ring road was the car body manufacturing business of the Pressed Steel Company, founded in 1926. It became part of the huge Morris Motors – later British Leyland and then Rover Group – site at Cowley, which incorporated three factories. Today only the Mini plant remains.

The original Mini became an icon of the 1960s, featuring in the 1969 film caper, The Italian Job. Its role was reprised by the modern Mini in a 2003 remake of the film.

BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994. The new Mini was first unveiled as a concept car in 1997. When BMW sold the other parts of the Rover Group in 2000, it retained the rights to the Mini.

After an initial tour during which they learned about the history of the iconic car, the pupils were shown around the factory.

Among the group was Danyal Talha, of Year 13, who said: “We witnessed a clear progression in the design styles of the cars, with evident links to design movements and ideas of the time.

“The factory tour then took us through one of the most advanced flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) in the world. FMS allows for various specifications of a product to be produced on a single line, and we witnessed this, with endless variations of Minis being made: from cabriolets to hard-tops, left and right-hand drives, with customised-to-order body colours and wheel alloys.”

They delved into details of the manufacturing process such as the ‘Prüfcubing process’, used to evaluate the fit, function and development of parts before a model launch. The boys saw a Prüfcubing body – a life-size model of a car body with a tolerance of +/- 0.2mm that was manufactured from solid aluminium, taking 2,000 hours to machine and worth some 1m Euros.

The group also saw automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in use. These are portable robots which, unlike autonomous robots, rely for their navigation on infrastructure in their environment, such as lines or wires on the floor, radio waves, or lasers.

“While we had already learned about AGVs in our theory lessons, getting to see them communicate with one another and work seamlessly to optimise the production line’s efficiency was fascinating,” said Danyal.

“Overall, the trip was a fabulous insight to real-world flexible manufacturing systems, and taught us about the evolving nature of production lines becoming fully automated.”

GCSE Art students enjoyed exclusive access to a Sir Grayson Perry exhibition on a visit to a London art gallery. 

The Year 11 boys had the popular exhibition, Delusions of Grandeur, to themselves during their visit to The Wallace Collection museum. 

They then had the chance to give their own creative responses in a special workshop. 

And before leaving, the group found time to see the gallery’s famous portrait of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester – a key figure in QE’s founding in 1573. 

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This Art department trip amply demonstrates the advantages of our proximity to London, which gives our boys easy access to all the exciting opportunities that the capital presents.” 

The purpose of the trip was to explore the work of Grayson Perry, who is known especially for his ceramic vases and tapestries. The results of this exploration then informed the boys’ own work on the theme of Personal Identity.   

Arranged to mark the artist’s 65th birthday, the exhibition featured more than 40 new works. It was the largest contemporary exhibition ever held at the museum. 

Art teacher Linda Mitchell said: “We were lucky to have exclusive access to the exhibition in the morning. 

“We then had an excellent workshop, where students could respond to the work by Perry through drawing, painting, collage and print-making. 

“It was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding day.” 

Several of the boys afterwards gave their reflections on the day:  

• Gyan Nadhavajhala praised Perry’s “handling of pre-existing images and his fusion of different media…. His combination of older, physical art with modern tools such as Photoshop drew me in and differentiated his work from others’.” 

• Akshay Jigajinni was impressed by the artist’s “inspiring” manipulation of colour and shape. “I truly felt that each splash of paint or each pen stroke evoked a different emotion.” 

• Alan Fang was also struck by the use of colour, as well as by the sheer range of work on display, from single-colour sculptures and tapestries to an extremely colourful sculpture that featured multi-coloured pins. 

• Kevin Peduru Hewa liked “the quickness and looseness of the drawings in the first room…and the 3D quality and use of materials in the second room”.  

With the visit to the exhibition and the workshop complete, that still left time for the boys to take in all The Wallace Collection’s other artworks, including the portrait of Dudley, which is attributed to Steven van der Meulen. Dated to 1560-1564, it is thought to be the earliest portrait surviving of the earl at whose request Queen Elizabeth I granted the charter for the establishment of Queen Elizabeth’s School. 
 

Young musicians enjoyed an action-packed five-day tour, which gave them multiple opportunities to perform in Belgium as well as the chance to sample the country’s cultural delights.

They played at three very diverse venues, beginning with Antwerp’s oldest parish church, Sint-Jacob (St James’s). Since the one-hour performance coincided with National Flemish Day, local dignitaries were invited along.

Besides the church performance, the boys played by arrangement for 45 minutes at a bandstand (the Kiosk de Musique) in the historic Parc de Bruxelles in the Belgian capital.

They also performed for an hour in the town square (Grote Markt) of Ypres (now officially known  by its Flemish name of Ieper) in front of the magnificent Cloth Hall. Originally a series of mediaeval buildings completed in 1304, the Cloth Hall was almost completely destroyed in World War I and subsequently rebuilt.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This was a very successful Music department tour, with some high-quality musicianship on display. I know the boys enjoyed the opportunities it gave them to perform in an unfamiliar environment. It was notable that all the items were conducted and, in the case of the tour choir, accompanied by pupils. The boys showed great maturity and leadership throughout. They also relished the full programme of activities we put on, from rides on rollercoasters through to enjoying some Belgian chocolate.”

The boys travelled from Barnet by coach, arriving first in Dunkirk after a journey through the Channel Tunnel on Le Shuttle.

In the French port, they visited a museum focusing on the town’s World War II history, which features real memorabilia found on the beach. This museum tells the story of Dunkirk across the war, from the well-known Battle of France in 1940, with its evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force to the town’s liberation by Czechoslovakian soldiers in 1945.

After crossing the border into Belgium, the tour party gained an insight into life on the front lines in World War I when they called in at the Trench of Death in Diksmuide – one of the conflict’s most treacherous trench systems. The system had areas of ‘no man’s land’ as small as 50 metres wide.

The tourists also:

• Explored the canals of Bruges on a boat trip;
• Sampled Belgian chocolate at the Choco-Story museum, where they saw a live demonstration of praline-making and, of course, enjoyed the tasting opportunities;
• Rode the rollercoasters and enjoyed the zoo attractions at Bellewaerde Park, Belgium’s oldest theme park, built in 1954 on the site of a World War I battleground;
• Enjoyed a walking tour of Gent’s key sites and took in the mediaeval Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in the heart of the city;
• Visited Brussels’ The Parliamentarium – an interactive exhibition about the past, present and future of the European Union and Parliament;
• Climbed the city’s 102m-tall Atomium, one of Brussels’ key landmarks, which gives panoramic views across the city and was built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Its nine stainless steel-clad spheres resemble an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the images. 

The tour ensembles were: Winds, Strings, and Choir.

They were conducted by: Eshaan Anil; Joseph Donovan; Parth Jain; Lamie Lam; Vihaan Salunke; and Jeremy Shi. The choir was accompanied by Zehao Wu.